CleoPODtra

Mitra Karimi-Taleghani, MSW, ASW, CYT, is a psychotherapist living in Los Angeles. She received her B.A. in Gender Studies with a Minor in Education from UCLA and her MSW from Radford University. She has over a decade of experience working with diverse populations in the mental health world, including hospitals, non-profits, and private practices in urban, suburban, and rural settings. Her therape...

Christie Bahna and Lynn Maleh are two Middle Eastern comedy queens digging up the funny from the first-generation experience. In this episode, the queens discuss standup comedian Arijana Ramic's upbringing in Seattle as the daughter of Muslim, Bosnian refugees; her mindset and goal-setting habits with the long game of comedy; and an elaborate prank involving an actual Bachelorette contestant....

Christie Bahna and Lynn Maleh are Middle Eastern comedy queens digging up the funny from the first-generation experience. Milan Patel is an Indian-American standup comedian based in LA. In this episode, the gang explores Milan's West Coast roots and his family's motel business; irrational childhood fears and delusions; first-generation identity; and standup comedy in Seattle, Portland, and...

Marlena Rodriguez is a first-generation Cuban, Puerto Rican TV writer and comedian who’s been writing and performing comedy since birth. She’s toured with The Second City, performed stand up around the world, and is a Sundance Episodic Lab alum . Marlena’s written on hit TV shows like Lord Miller's Clone High, Tina Fey's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt , HBO's Silicon Valley , and more! Marl...

Christie Bahna and Lynn Maleh are two Middle Eastern comedy queens on an expedition to dig up the funny from the first-generation experience. This week's guest, Nthenya Ndunda, is a dynamic force in comedy with a cynical mind and an extroverted persona. She masterfully blends observational humor with thoughtful reflections, leaving audiences in a delightful quandary: is this deeply profound, o...

Fumi Abe is a Japanese-American stand-up comedian/writer based in Los Angeles who was recently named Vulture’s Comedians You Should and Will Know in 2023 and was part of the 2023 Just For Laughs New Faces. He has appeared on T he Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon , The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , and has written for The Late Late Show with James Corden , NPR’s “Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!”, t...

Born in Nigeria, raised in Canada, with stints in Korea and France, Aisha Alfa is now living and working in Los Angeles as a comedian, actor, writer and host. Her comedy album All The Parts , streaming now on All Things Comedy , was listed as Ebony Magazine’s “5 Black Female Comedy Albums to Get Your Chuckle On.” Aisha has a joke on GQ’s “100 Best Jokes In The World,” and she has performed live st...

Opeyemi ('Opey') Olagbaju is a Nigerian American stand-up comedian/writer named as one of Vulture's Comedians You Should Know 2023 . He created BAMMAS on Hulu and wrote for a number of shows, including CLOSE ENOUGH on Max; BETTY on HBO; Kenya Barris’ UNRELATED on Freeform; and I LOVE YOU AMERICA WITH SARAH SILVERMAN. As a standup, the D.C.-area native performs across the city and has s...

Glorelys "Glory" Mora is a proud Bilingual Dominican-American standup comedian, born and raised in Uptown, NY, who has appeared on HBO, VICE TV, FUSE TV, TV ONE, CLEO TV (w/ Chef JJ), E! FASHION POLICE (w/ the late Joan Rivers), and more. She has performed in and produced comedy shows in Hawaii, San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles, the Dominican Republic, and more. When she’s not on stage...

Reem Edan is an Iraqi-American content creator, award-winning writer and internationally touring stand-up comedian known for her unique brand of “Muslim-ennial” humor. Since leaving a career in film marketing to focus on comedy, Reem has participated in several prestigious programs including the:NBC Late Night Writing Workshop, MGM Writing Program, Disney Television Discovers Talent Showcase, and...

Pallavi Gunalan is a stand-up comedian, writer, actor, improviser, biomedical engineer, and fan of the oxford comma. Follow her @pallavigunalan and find her at pallavigunalan.com .

Ahmed Al-Kadri is a Yemeni-American comedian based in LA. He connects with audiences through funny, heartfelt stories and jokes about those little things in life you just have to laugh at. Follow him @ahmedlovesbread across social media platforms, and check out his website ahmedlovesbread.com .

Called "up-and-coming" by the LA Times , Lynn Maleh is a Syrian-American TV writer and standup comedian whose last name means salty, which she is. She's written for Act Your Age on Bounce TV, The Onion, Reductress, and McSweeney’s and has performed on The New York Comedy Festival, Don’t Tell Comedy, Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen, and a few times in Brad Pitt’s old backyard. She co-cr...

Christie Bahna is a comic, writer, & voice actor (SAG/AFTRA). She has performed at the Hollywood Improv, Comedy Store, The Stand NY, New York Comedy Club, and the Laugh Factory, and she can be seen performing regularly in L.A. As a first-generation Egyptian American and former attorney, Christie’s work explores the interplay between culture, identity, and the legal implications of slipping on...

Cleopodtra